Amalah
Amalah is an interstellar constitutional monarchy originating from the planet La Sutala. Amalah is the oldest confirmed interstellar civilization and the Amalah state is the longest continuing government in the Known Galaxy. From the early 1800's onwards, Amalah maintained a slow and steady expansion beyond their world of origin. Amalah made its first contact with an alien species, the Angels in the 1800's, then encountered the pre-FTL He-Tai, whom they subjugated after a three year conquest. The third encounter occurred in 2002, with a nomadic space race who Amalah immediately came to blows with in their desire to conquer. The nomadic species was fully driven from the stars they usually kept to for supplies by 2043, which were promptly claimed by Amalah. At the height of their power, Amalah ruled over a dozen star systems. The society of Amalah placed a great emphasis on continuous improvement through observation and introspection. An elite minority of intelligentsia formed the dominant class which led Amalah policy, with even greater influence than political or military figures. Amalah purged much of its own cultural heritage, as well as that of He-Tai's in order to free thought from religion and superstition. Advanced technological innovations in the fields of space travel, biotechnology, cybernetics, and military technology created by the highly driven intelligentsia made Amalah the dominant power in space for centuries. Amalah’s decline began in 2565, with the successful rebellion of the He-Tai, who broke off from Amalah to form their own independent states. As other civilizations began to assert themselves, Amalah society continued to grow increasingly stratified, and the civilization began contributing less and less to new technology, sciences, or the growing interstellar trade networks. In 2731, a nomadic species, possibly the same one driven off half a millennium ago, conducted a massive attack on Amalah space with its vassal soldier species, the sirians. In a war which would last over sixty years, Amalah lost much of its empire to the genetically enhanced enemy, eventually pursuing a planetary desolation policy that would leave countless dead, both enemy soldiers and their own people, and leave the worlds uninhabitable even into the present day. The war ended abruptly with the disappearance of the Uplifters and the retreat of the Sirians. Amalah pursuit was short-lived, due to having exhausted their forces and resources in the long war. Despite the destitute state of affairs, Amalah was able to weather the Dark Age, being one of the few states to remain intact during those turbulent times. Recuperating from the Uplifter Wars, Amalah moved slowly to reestablish itself on the galactic stage. By this time though, others had already risen, including the He-Tai Nation. When both nations attempted to settle the world of Koljung, tensions between the two former enemies led to conflict, resulting in the massacre of Amalah settlers. The war that followed would lead to an on-and-off state of conflict between the two sides for the next 200 years, which left Amalah the worst off each time. Under the 53th Mezimir, Amalah initiated sweeping reforms in the government and military, attempting to mimic the more successful states. The resulting changes and loss of power angered many of the intelligentsia, and failed to produce either success in the military or a resurgence in Amalah social power. Within two decades, Amalah reverted to its former manner of governance. The restoration of the old ways still have not produced a revival, the economy continues to remain one of the weakest in the Known Galaxy, and with the exception of the intelligentsia, most citizens are poor and uneducated. Etymology Amalah is the name of both the state and the species which inhabits it. The word itself came from the He-Tai pronunciation of Amalah's name in their own language. Amalah was a state that formed in the Amal Valley which unified La Sutala in 1667. History The Amalah discovered the Angel Sector at some point in their history, before even creating superluminal transportation technology. After repeated attempts at communication yielded no positive results, they closed off the sector and banned their citizens from entering. They are the first civilization, excluding Unidentified Nations, to have discovered faster-than-light travel, having created the first working FTL drive in 1870. Government Foreign Relations Economy Military Infrastructure Culture The sound of cracking knuckles is of great alarm to them, with most Amalah thinking the sound is indicative of the fingers preparing to fall away from the rest of the hand. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=13799676760A84359700&page=19#464 The bopoctu is an instrument of Amalah origin.http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=13799676760A84359700&page=17#423 Demographics Territory Trivia References Category:Nations Category:Amalah